Next-Generation Pharmacist Awards Program Announces 2011 Finalists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Bea Riemschneider, Editorial Director, (609) 716-7777, briemschneider@pharmacytimes.com

Next-Generation Pharmacist™ Awards Program Announces 2011 Finalists

Pharmacy Times and Parata Reveal Innovative Pharmacy Professionals to be Honored at Second Annual Awards Banquet in Boston

Plainsboro, NJ (August 5, 2011)—Pharmacy Times and Parata Systems have announced the finalists for the second annual Next-Generation Pharmacist awards. Profiles of the finalist appear in the July 2011 issue of Pharmacy Times. The 2011 program, honoring pharmacists who define the future of the industry across a wide range of practice settings, attracted nearly 350 nominations from across the country.

This year’s finalists include pharmacist innovators, student pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians across 11 distinct categories. The program introduced the “Long-Term Care Pharmacist of the Year” and the “Military Pharmacist of the Year” categories in 2011.

A panel of esteemed judges chaired by Pharmacy Times Editor-in-Chief, Fred M. Eckel, RPh, MS, selected 3 finalists for each category, with 4 finalists chosen in the Lifetime Achievement Category as a result of a tie. These finalists represent a true cross-section of the industry—from large chain retailers and independent pharmacies to military health clinics and educational institutions in 23 different states.

One winner from the pharmacist categories will also receive the program’s highest honor—the “2011 Next-Generation Pharmacist.” This award recognizes a licensed pharmacist who embodies the highest standards of patient care, management, and operations, while demonstrating an uncompromising vision for the pharmacy industry.

The 2011 finalists are:

Civic Leader of the Year:

Peter Crouch, BSPharm, Eden Drug, Eden, NC

John Joseph Forbes, RPh, Medicap Pharmacy, Urbandale, IA

John Gotowko, RPh, MS, MBA, FASCP, Wende Correctional Facility, Alden, NY

Entrepreneur of the Year:

Ken Fields, PharmD, ApproRx and Waynesville Pharmacy, Waynesville, OH

Doug Kaleugher, BSPharm, Med-Fast Pharmacy, Aliquippa, PA

Michael Schwartzwald, RPh, GuidePoint Pharmacy, Brainerd, MN

Future Pharmacist of the Year:

Kyle Burcher, The University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, Athens, GA

Gina M. Pettineo, Nova Southeastern University College of Pharmacy, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Edward Saito, Creighton University, Omaha, NE

Industry Advocate of the Year:

Anthony Brooklere, RPh, Adamsville Pharmacy, Adamsville, AL

Jerry Kaup, RPh, Kaup Pharmacy, Fort Recovery, OH

Autumn Wells, PharmD, Family Drug, Inc., Big Stone Gap, VA

Lifetime Achievement:

Stephen Giroux, RPh, Middleport Family Health Center, Middleport, NY

Steven Judy, RPh, Judy’s Drug Store, Petersburg, WV

Whitaker Moose, Sr., BSPharm, Moose Drug Company, Mt. Pleasant, NC

Gianna Talone-Sullivan, PharmD, Mission of Mercy, Frederick, MD

Long-Term Care Pharmacist of the Year:

Mark Adler, RPh, Adler’s Pharmacy, Sicklerville, NJ

Brian Beach, PharmD, FACA, Kelley-Ross Prescription Pharmacy, Seattle, WA

Tina L. Fiebelkorn, BSPharm, Fiebelkorn Pharmacy Consulting Services, Getzville, NY

Military Pharmacist of the Year:

Major Jeffrey Neigh, PharmD, BCPS, Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, GA

Major Jessica Spitler, PharmD, MBA, Patrick Air Force Base, Patrick Air Force Base, FL

Lieutenant Colonel Gwendolyn Thompson, RPh, MPA, PharmD, BCPS, Fort Hood, Fort Hood, TX

Patient Care Provider of the Year:

Traci Brooks, PharmD, Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, NC

Steffany Loper, PharmD, Kroger, Delaware, OH

Justin Wilson, PharmD, Valu-Med Pharmacy, Midwest City, OK

Rising Star of the Year:

Abby Caplan, PharmD, Kerr Health LLC of Kerr Drug, Inc., Zebulon, NC

Lieutenant Vince Deguzman, PharmD, MBA, US Naval Hospital Guam, Agana, Guam

Nick Patterson, PharmD, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Fort Campbell, KY

Technician of the Year:

Amy Haines, CPhT, Bradley Drugs, Nashville, TN

Jennifer Jelinek, CPhT, J&D Pharmacy, Warsaw, MO

Jeanne Li, CPhT, Independent Consultant, Elk Grove, CA

Technology Innovator of the Year:

Diane Gatchell, RPh, Lawrence Family Health Center, Lawrence, MA

Chris Geronsin, RPh, Beverly Hills Pharmacy, St. Louis, MO

Vincent Venitelli, BSPharm, UCONN Correctional Managed Health Care, Farmington, CT

“This unique awards program, now in its second year, really expanded this year with exceptional nominations in every category,” said Tighe Blazier, executive vice president, MJH & Associates, publisher of Pharmacy Times.

Each of the Next-Generation Pharmacist Awards finalists is profiled on the Pharmacy Times Web site and is also featured the July 2011 issue of the publication. Finalists are also currently listed at www.nextgenerationpharmacist.com, where guests can reserve tickets for the annual awards event.

“Pharmacy Times is the leader in pharmacy publishing, and it is our pleasure to be honoring these leaders in pharmacy from across the country and from all sectors of the profession,” said Mike Hennessy, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of MJH & Associates.

This year’s gala event will be held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston on August 29, concurrent with the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Pharmacy & Technology Conference.

“The JFK Presidential Library is a perfect place to recognize these amazing pharmacists, given all that Kennedy stood for and now symbolizes,” said Tom Rhoads, CEO of Parata Systems.

###

About Pharmacy Times

Pharmacy Times is a clinically based, monthly journal providing practical information pharmacists can use in their everyday practice. Each issue contains articles and features covering medication errors, drug interactions, patient education, pharmacy technology, disease state management, patient counseling, product news, pharmacy law, and specialty pharmacy. Pharmacy Times is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of free continuing pharmacy education. Pharmacy Times can be found at Facebook.com/PharmacyTimes and on Twitter (@Pharmacy_Times). Learn more at www.pharmacytimes.com, info@pharmacytimes.com or 609-716-7777.

Pharmacy Times is published by Intellisphere, LLC, a leading provider of health care publishing, research, information, and education. Operating within both traditional and digital media channels, Intellisphere serves the needs of health care professionals through an extensive suite of magazines, journals, e-mail databases, Web sites, events, and personal meetings.

Intellisphere reaches more than half a million health care professionals through Pharmacy Times, Specialty Pharmacy Times, The American Journal of Managed Care, The American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits, MD Magazine: Peers & Perspectives, HCPlive.com, Oncology & Biotech News, OncLive, Contemporary Oncology, and OncNurse.

About Parata Systems

Durham, NC-based Parata Systems, LLC, was founded in 2001, and offers industry-leading technology that improves consumer safety and convenience at key touch points in the circle of pharmacy care: fill, serve and adhere. Parata Max® and Mini® automate prescription dispensing with high-speed and accuracy; Parata APM® expands convenience, safety and privacy of medication delivery; and Parata® PACMED improves safety with unit- and multi-dose packaging that ensures patients get the right medication at the right time, every time. To learn more, call, click or visit Parata Systems, www.parata.com, info@parata.com, 1-888-PARATA1 (727-2821), and on Facebook and Twitter at “Parata Systems.”